Monument to Pushkin disappeared from the pedestal in Nikolaev in southern Ukraine

The monument to Pushkin disappeared from the pedestal in NikolaevMOSCOW, May 21. The monument to Alexander Pushkin disappeared from the pedestal in Nikolaev on Saturday Nikolaev in southern Ukraine, the Ukrainian online edition Strana.ua reported. The monument was erected in 1988 and included in the list of cultural heritage sites, the Strana noted. The mayor of the city, Alexander Senkevich, explained in his Telegram channel that the monument was removed by public utilities to protect it from demolition and vandalism. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that the Ukrainian authorities for many years pursued a policy of aggressive de-Russification and forced assimilation. He noted that Russia wants to see Ukraine as friendly, without a ban on the Russian language and Russian culture.